With widespread use of the Internet, content described in a structural description language such as Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) used by the World Wide Web (WWW) has enjoyed a rapid distribution in recent years.
The content mentioned here refers to multimedia data including text, an image and sound. The content described in a structural description language such as HTML (hereinafter referred to simply as “HTML content”) is distributed, for example, in the following manner.
A personal computer or the like which is connected to a network such as the Internet specifies an Uniform Resource Locator (URL) having desired HTML content and sends a request to the network. A server corresponding to this URL obtains the HTML content specified by the personal computer from a database. The server then sends the HTML content thus obtained to the personal computer across the network. The personal computer receives this HTML content across the network, analyzes a tag or the like in the HTML content received and displays an image on its specified display unit based on a result of this analysis.
Recently, not only the personal computer but also a portable electronic apparatus functioning as a communication terminal for a portable telephone or a Personal Handy-phone System (PHS) or the like receives the content described in the structural description language through a network such as a portable telephone network. The portable electronic apparatuses display the image or the like by using the content received.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, a description is hereinafter provided of an example of a conventional display of the image on the portable electronic apparatus, which functions as the communication terminal such as the portable telephone or the PHS, by use of the content received thorough the network.
FIGS. 27-41 illustrate a map search using the communication terminal.
In FIGS. 27-40, body 1 of the apparatus includes display unit 2, numeric keypad 3 and confirmation key 4. Up arrow key 5 is disposed above confirmation key 4, while down arrow key 6 is disposed below confirmation key 4. Right arrow key 7 is disposed on the right of confirmation key 4, while left arrow key 8 is disposed on the left of confirmation key 4.
The following description refers to a case where the content received across the network is utilized by such a structure.
This description refers to the search for a map including a station and its vicinity through use of an “i-mode” service provided by NTT DoCoMo as an example of an information providing service utilizing the portable telephone terminal and the Internet.
When apparatus body 1 is powered on, a main menu screen such as shown in FIG. 27(b) is displayed on display unit 2 of FIG. 27(a).
With the main menu screen displayed, up arrow key 5 is operated to select an “i-mode” icon.
Up arrow key 5 hatched in FIG. 27(a) indicates that this key 5 is in operation.
Some of the following drawings too have hatched keys to show that those keys are in operation.
Confirmation key 4 is operated as shown in FIG. 28(a) to confirm the selection of the “i-mode” icon shown in FIG. 28(b).
This confirmation effects display of an “i-mode” menu screen on display unit 2 as shown in FIG. 29(b). As down arrow key 6 is operated as shown in FIG. 29(a), cursor 9 appearing on this menu screen moves accordingly. Here, the cursor is moved to select the sixth menu option, “Map”, as shown in FIG. 30(b). When cursor 9 is positioned over “Map” in the menu, confirmation key 4 is operated as shown in FIG. 30(a) to confirm the selection of “Map” from the menu.
As the selection from the menu is confirmed, a “Select Area” screen is displayed as shown in FIG. 31(b). Options “1”-“9” on this screen include respective area names in Japan.
Next, down arrow key 6 is operated as shown in FIG. 31(a) to move cursor 9. Here, the Kansai area is selected as shown in FIG. 32(b). Confirmation key 4 is thereafter operated as shown in FIG. 32(a) to confirm the selection of the Kansai area.
As the selection of the Kansai area is confirmed, a “Select Search Method” screen is displayed as shown in FIG. 33(b).
Subsequently, down arrow key 6 is operated as shown in FIG. 33(a) to move cursor 9, and “Search by Station Name” is selected with cursor 9, as shown in FIG. 34(b).
Confirmation key 4 is then operated as shown in FIG. 34(b), whereby the screen changes to an “Edit” screen shown in FIG. 35(b).
Confirmation key 4 is again operated as shown in FIG. 35(a), whereby the “Edit” screen becomes available.
Numeric keypad 3 is thereafter operated to input “Nishi Sanso” on this “Edit” screen as shown in FIG. 36(b).
“Nishi Sanso” is the name of a station in Kadoma city of Osaka Prefecture lying in the Kansai area of Japan.
As shown in FIG. 36(a), the input of this station name is confirmed with confirmation key 4.
Upon this confirmation, the “Select Search Method” screen including input “Nishi Sanso” is displayed as shown in FIG. 37(b). Here, cursor 9 is positioned at “Search”. When confirmation key 4 is operated as shown in FIG. 37(a), a map showing “Nishi Sanso” and its surroundings is displayed as shown in FIG. 38(b).
This map can be scrolled with “1”-“4” keys and “6”-“9” keys of numeric keypad 3 shown in FIG. 38(a). With a “5” key, a zoom in can be done. With a “0” key, a zoom out can be done. When the “5” key is operated as shown in FIG. 38(a), a zoomed-in map is displayed as shown in FIG. 39(b).
Next, the “1” key of numeric keypad 3 is operated as shown in FIG. 39(a) to scroll the zoomed-in map in an upper-left direction, whereby a map shown in FIG. 40(b) is displayed. After the map is confirmed, down arrow key 6 is operated as shown in FIG. 40(a) to move cursor 9 over “Top Menu”. Confirmation key 4 is then operated as shown in FIG. 40(c). Then the screen returns to the top menu screen shown in FIG. 41.
As described above, the conventional portable electronic apparatus requires, besides the numeric keypad, at least five keys including confirmation key 4, up arrow key 5, down arrow key 6, right arrow key 7 and left arrow key 8. These keys take up a lot of space in the small portable electronic apparatus. In addition, numeric keypad 3 is used to input commands including the scroll, the zoom in and the zoom out.
Accordingly, a user may need to memorize respective functions of the keys. Moreover, these keys increase finger motion of the user for operation. For this reason, the user may avert his/her eyes from the display screen for every input.